♫ ♫
(indistinct call and response chanting)
BRITISH CAPTAIN: This is your last warning.
Put down your weapons and go home peacefully,
or we will have no choice but to open fire.
CORONER". I, the coroner, do certify
the death occurred on April the 24th, 1935.
(call and response chanting)
BRITISH CAPTAIN: With a single round,
aim above the crowd.
Prepare to fire.
Fire!
(chanting)
CORONER". Name of the deceased,
Naresh Banerjee.
CORONER". Cause of death...
Fire!
(man praying in Arabic)
SOLDIER: You!
Bloody animals.
Get away from here!
WOMAN ON PHONE: Who are you trying to reach?
DOUGIE: It's Raworth.
WOMAN ON PHONE: I'm so sorry.
Could you please repeat that?
DOUGIE: Raworth.
WOMAN ON PHONE: Thank you.
Please wait.
DOUGIE: Can you hear me?
SARAH". Douglas? Douglas?
Sarah, love?
Yes, it's really you!
Are you both well?
Yes, not too bad.
Can you hear him?
That's your daddy.
A boy.
Oh, yes, it's a boy all right.
DOUGIE: Well, that's him, eh?
Yes, can you hear your daddy?
I'm so proud of you, you know?
Yeah, well, you'll be outnumbered.
Can't have that.
Can't wait to be with you in Delhi.
Yes, then home to England.
We'll be a proper family.
I know what you're thinking,
and just because the baby's come along
doesn't mean anyone's going to forget you.
I promised to find you a new home,
and that's what I'll do.
Look at me.
That's better.
Yes, Uncle.
And you'll be all right here on your own?
Yes, Uncle.
I'll only be a few hours at the picnic.
Wish me luck.
(party music playing)
Ah.
Good grief-- another damned party.
RALPH: It's the King's SilverJubilee, sir.
I think we're honour-bound to make a bit of a fuss.
I'm well aware of that, Whelan.
But one does feel rather invaded.
Speech all written?
Almost.
You just speak into it as you would...
Yes, yes, yes, thank you.
I've had my fill of advice from Her Excellency.
Gentlemen.
RONNIE: Ah, here he is.
So, we all have copies.
Gates open at 1300 hours.
Simkin and canapes under the boughs.
Now I've no wish to sound the alarm,
but if you turn to your second sheet,
not only are the Congress nationalists
declining to honour the King,
the Muslim League have now also decided to boycott.
Your precious Maharajah?
Will be attending.
Here within the hour.
He'd damn well better.
Thank you, Ronnie.
Here we all are,
high water mark in the reign of his Majesty the King,
and not one Indian nationalist of note
willing to turn out and raise a glass in his name.
Can't you round up the usual crowd
of loyalists from the Legislative Assembly?
As you like.
Still, one hoped this bill of yours
was going to bind us all together,
not drive us further apart.
It's not my bill.
Naturally.
Never is, is it, old love?
When things don't quite go according to plan...
Whoopsie!
Chuprassey, the wind caught that chap's hat.
We go on.
Even if it kills us.
Thank you.
Most welcome, sahib.
You know they're all saying it--
old Whelan's losing his touch.
I expect you've heard the same.
Mr. Keane, there are one or two names
of my own I would like to add to this list.
You need to clear all that
with Fitzpatrick in Military.
MAN: Please have your invitations in hand at the gate.
Thank you very much.
Mr. Saheb to collect in person?
No.
I will give it to him myself.
Thank you, Captain.
English King Georgie?
That's it.
Look at them.
Make me sick to my craw.
Will you be joining us today
for our own wee celebration?
3:00, I'll be there.
You don't mind
joining our little protest?
I wouldn't miss it for the world.
(clears his throat)
(groans)
Your invitation.
They will ask you for identification at the gate.
These are your papers.
Your name is Rao Saheb.
You are a clerk with the Provincial Service.
What have we here?
An old suit of mine.
You will have to look the part.
British suit.
Now tell me again.
You and I will meet at 2:00 here in the bazaar.
We will go to Viceregal Lodge,
present the invitation.
The guard on duty knows me.
Good.
And the bomb?
Oh, I will bring that myself.
And when they all rise for the toast,
I will light that fuse.
And then your work is done, Aafrin-bhai ("brother" Aafrin).
You and your family will be quite safe from harm.
Medicine?
Yes.
Here, sulphas.
From the Vicereine's own medical supply.
Oh, I am honoured.
You first.
See?
All is well.
(groans)
Here, let me look.
Kaira's Revenge, I call it.
Still, we are at the edge of something.
Can you feel it?
Yes.
(gasping in pain)
Such a long way
from my father's grave to the Viceroy's gardens.
And their blood
will run red and blue.
And we will live to be free.
It is good to have hope.
Yes, yes!
Brother, I still have one doubt.
Go on.
Is it not safer to hide the bomb inside the Garden now?
This morning, before the guests arrive?
That way, it seems to me there is no risk of detection.
No!
Naresh-da, we have come so far together, you and I.
Are we brothers or not?
We cannot go forward now without trust.
Hmm?
You have to tell me, for God's sake.
Where is it?
Where is the bomb?
AAFRIN: Sooni?
It's done.
He told me where the bomb is hidden.
But what if he names you as his conspirator?
Then I am bound to hang.
Look on the bright side--
at least you won't have to marry that boy with the eyebrow.
And Daddy?
What did you say to him?
I said there was no room for families at the picnic.
What about all the other guests?
I am doing all I can.
I know.
Tomorrow we will start again.
You too will stay at home.
Where else would I be?
Sooni, promise me.
Of course.
Are we enough, do you think?
We're more than sufficient for any prince.
Anyway, Sirene said to keep it informal.
Yeah.
Ah-- here we go.
What happened to our prince?
Maharaja aaj nahi aaye-gaa. (The Maharjah wont be coming today)
His Highness the Maharajah
sends his regrets, memsahib.
He is unfit to travel.
Oh.
My husband will be sorry to hear that.
So why send a car?
Yeh kyaa hei? (What is this?)
It is present from Maharaj.
He has a gift
for His Majesty King George.
RALPH: Sir?
Ah, Whelan.
Here it is,
my tribute to the King for the blasted thingummy.
Wireless.
The broadcast.
Yes, I am familiar with the terms.
Well?
Sir, you speak for us all.
Yes, yes, yes.
I know you better than that.
Well, remember that Britain is not
your only audience today.
All of India will be listening.
And?
Better we tackle the nationalist threat head-on.
There will be pressure for political advances.
We don't hide from that.
But the King-- the King stands apart.
Yes, above.
That's the message-- the King is this constant music.
The King...
Makes subjects of us all.
And how poor and comfortless we would feel without him.
Good.
Ah Munshi!
Your Excellency,
may I have a word?
Can you believe
our precious Maharajah has decided
to bugger us about again?
Are you surprised?
He's hardly the type of man to be relied on.
Well, I have the uphill task
of trying to be his friend.
Never mind all that, sir.
What's this?
I received this from an acquaintance.
And does he have a name, this acquaintance?
Not if he can help it.
All right, what's his story?
He claims there is a device
in Simla, buried here.
12 pounds of high explosives.
(blowing whistle)
(men shouting, whistle continues blowing)
ROWNTREE: I want everybody in the yard.
Now.
That means all of them!
IAN: What crime against His Royal Majesty
have we committed this time, Superintendent?
McLeod, we've got information you've got
explosives buried here on your estate.
No.
Parsi!
Now if I may kindly ask, what is the source
of this so-called information?
Sir!
Sir?
What is this?
What does it mean?
IAN: Can a man not celebrate
25 years of the King?
A royal milestone indeed.
Long live King George!
Come on!
Like we practiced.
Long live King George!
(lock clicking)
Kyaa huvaa? (What happened?)
English!
Only English now for subjects of the Empire.
I'll tell you what's wrong, child.
Your friend is your enemy.
And there is no one, no one in this world
that you can trust!
Come here.
Where's Mr. Raworth?
He has gone away.
And the baby, is it come?
Yes.
It is inevitable.
Do you know what that means, inevitable?
It means there is no escape.
Now the baby has come, and he will be on his way,
and what will become of you?
They will find me a home.
Hah-- no.
Oh, I'm sorry to tell you, my friend,
but that man is lying.
There is no home.
And do you know what happens to boys that have no home?
Ravana.
He will come and he will eat you alive.
Do you know what Ravana is?
Let me tell you.
He has ten heads and ten tongues of fire,
and a bleeding sword, and he will swallow you whole
without pausing for breath.
What is your name?
Chota Matthew.
No, your real name.
Akshay.
Is this what you want, Akshay?
For Ravana to come and stick you
with his sword?
No, of course not.
You want to find a home, yes?
Are you a good boy?
Run on the spot and show me.
Keep going.
Now listen.
If you do exactly as I tell you,
then I promise I will give you a home.
Sahib?
Mr. Dalal.
RALPH: It's all right-- send him up.
Still dressing, I'm afraid.
Hope you don't mind.
NARESH: You wait
till 4:00.
BOTH: One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
I don't know where you got hold of that map,
but you can tell your mystery acquaintance
the police searched Mr. McLeod's premises
and found no explosives, no firearms,
not so much as a trace of cordite.
But that's not possible.
Tell them to check again.
MADELEINE: Am I interrupting?
Not at all.
Hello, Aafrin.
Mrs. Whelan.
Do you have any idea
how many threats and false alarms
cross my desk every week?
I think the District Superintendent
has enough on his plate.
No.
I'll go look in on Vivian.
Would you care to tell me what this is about?
Naresh Banerjee.
Yes, shot dead in Karachi.
He was the one and only Hindu
shot dead among 47 Muslims.
You don't find that at all suspicious?
I assume he was there to foment violence
and got caught up in a shooting.
I asked them to send up his death certificate
from Sind.
Here.
Yes, his own identity papers.
I can only assume he must have planted them
on some corpse.
This is madness.
Whelan, look at the photograph.
This is not Banerjee.
So what happened to him?
Banerjee is here in Simla.
And I am quite certain he means to strike
at the heart of this Jubilee picnic.
He's been planning this for months.
And if the bomb's
not here on this map, it is somewhere.
It is somewhere close by.
Who told you?
As I said, an acquaintance.
No.
No, you'll have to do better than that.
If I'm going to raise the alarm, I need a name.
Who told you?
Who told you there was a bomb?
For God's sake, Aafrin, you can trust me.
Who told you?
Kaira.
Kaira Das.
NARESH". You tell them
it is a gift for the King.
Say it.
It is a gift for the King.
AAFRIN: I met her
in Bengal.
Met her?
We were lovers.
She said for some time that Banerjee had been
bragging of his great plan.
I thought nothing of it at first,
but then when she died, shot, as you know,
by his hand, I realized we cannot let this pass.
AAFRIN: We must be sure this man is put out of action.
RALPH". But how do you know that he's here?
AAFRIN: I found him.
What?!
I met him.
And I am due to meet him again in one hour
down in the lower bazaar.
You remember everything?
One hour?
ALICE: Aafrin!
This picnic today,
I want you to stay home.
What's going on?
AAFRIN: This time tomorrow,
if something happens to me...
You're in trouble, aren't you?
Just promise...
Promise you won't think any less of me.
You will never say to yourself,
"that man was a liar."
Aafrin!
Because I never lied.
Not to you-- not one word.
You can trust me.
RONNIE: Club Secretary
seeks permission to enter.
Password?
I don't know.
Kitchener?
Coffin?
Reggie?
Gurkha?
Kipling?
Eccles?
Chorley?
Chelsea?
Greedy Pig-
It's Phyllis.
Phyllis!
Phyllis.
Damn.
You look jolly nice.
Thank you.
So you've changed your mind, then--
knew you would-- about coming to the picnic?
No.
Oh.
May one inquire as to the why?
Well, I sometimes think it's better
to celebrate these things on your own.
That's all.
Understood.
Well, go on-- skidaddle.
Otherwise you'll miss it.
RALPH". From His Highness
the Maharajah of Amritpur.
(oohs and ahhs)
(applause)
What on earth?
Something for the bathroom?
It's a gift for the King.
Really?
He sends his regrets.
He's not avoiding us, do you suppose?
Oh, no.
We have His Highness's full support.
WILLING-DON: On behalf of the Princes and people of India
I beg to send to His Majesty the King Emperor our respectful
and joyful greetings
on this auspicious day.
And to express the profound hope
that he may be spared many years to continue to rule
over this great country.
Loyalty to the King Emperor
is and always has been the abiding faith
of the Indian people.
And while it is impossible
in these days of change and development
to expect the many millions of India to be free
from all the stress and strain
which comes with the desire for political advance,
His Majesty the King Emperor can rest assured
that he is held to be above and apart
from such movements...
(clock chimes once)
...and that we are all devotedly loyal
to the King Emperor's throne and person.
We gratefully thank him
for the constant and abiding interest...
(clock chimes again)
...he has always taken in the welfare,
prosperity, and progress of all his subjects in India.
(wagon wheels creaking)
RALPH: Travel safe.
DOUGIE: Yes, I will try.
And you'll let me know how things go
with Miss Prasad's trial?
I'll do what I can.
And thank you for the telephone call.
No, no, I was glad to.
There's no doubt in my mind you'll be
a good father to that child.
You always hope so.
No-- you have what it takes.
Why do you say that?
Well, the truth is...
if you want the absolute truth, I, uh...
I discovered something quite recently.
Turns out my father wasn't my mother's husband.
Turns out he was another man altogether.
It's a quite ordinary tale.
It doesn't make it any less shocking.
No.
I honestly don't know why I'm bothering you with all this.
Do you want my advice?
Ask yourself, does it matter?
Professionally, it does rather.
And everything else?
Well, it shouldn't, should it?
I mean, it's an abstraction.
But when one has the, uh...
I suppose you could call it badluck
to lose both one's parents at an early age...
And there are times,
dark times, when you honestly think
that they're all you've got,
and then when it turns out it's all...
a lie...
What am I to do?
Well, you could do what I do--
keep going-
You have your wife.
Your family.
Your friends.
Your real friends.
You're not alone.
Sometimes I find myself wondering, what was he like,
my old man?
Perhaps he was a bit like you.
Well?
Did Banerjee appear?
No.
We waited, but there was no sign of him.
And the, um, the device?
The army is still searching.
For God's sake!
Whelan!
We'll find him.
Now Roopah, I know you're still getting
used to our ways, but it's like this--
SO, SO, SO.
Very good, ma'am.
Daddy, give me that cup.
Nope.
What can I do?
Every cup tastes sweeter.
I don't know why we're all making such a fuss
when we're not even going anywhere.
We can celebrate just as well here at home.
Mmm, quite smart.
Sooni, what time is it?
Sooni?
Almost 3:00.
DARIUS: What are you doing, sweetie?
Nothing.
(singing in an Indian language)
Yes?
You must be one of the sisters.
Shamshad or Sooni?
Naresh Banerjee.
May I come in?
No.
No, you may not.
You think you are some hero?
Your brother betrayed me.
I warned him what I would do.
Get off!
Help!
Soon“.
It's all right.
Oh, my girl, my darling girl.
Help-- we need help here!
We need some help here!
Help!
ROSHANA: Jaanu!
Hamaari dikri! (our daughter!)
Help!
Banerjee!
(bellowing)
DOUGIE: For food.
In a world where many walk in hunger.
For faith in a world...
News.
...where many walk in fear.
For friends in a world...
where many walk alone, we give you thanks, O Lord.
Here I am
at your mercy.
Tum-ne giraftaar
kiyaa jaataa hei. (what do you want?)
And what a story I have to tell.
(cell door slams)
RALPH: Mr. Banerjee.
NARESH: ♪ The grand old Duke of York, he had 10,000 men... ♪
Get him up.
Sergeant.
On your feet, Banerjee.
Go on.
♪ He marched them up to the top of the hill ♪
♪ And he marched them... ♪
Where is it?
Where's the bomb?
Tell me,
and I give you my word, I will save your life.
Spit it out!
Aafrin Dalal.
Stop it.
Stop, stop.
Sergeant!
Stop it! Stop it!
(Wagon creaking)
(bellowing)
SOONI: I don't know why you are all making such a fuss.
It was just a graze.
A graze, she says.
A graze that almost killed you.
SOONI: Ma, give him
the cup.
Here you are, Mr. McLeod.
Very kind, Mrs. Dalal.
You know, I never thought I would say this,
but thank God for the Scottish man.
(laughs)
Chokri bechaavi. (chokri means "girl")
He saved my girl.
Oh, she saved herself.
She fought like a tiger.
Now, that I can believe.
No, it was all thanks to Mr. Ian in the end.
Who was the fellow?
Oh, I hardly saw him.
A maniac.
He's been detained.
Really?
Has he spoken to the authorities?
ROSHANA: I swear from this day forward, we're going to live very simply.
If we can.
(bell rings)
IAN: Mrs. Havistock.
I'm so sorry.
I heard the most terrible rumour.
I just wanted to know you're all right.
Yes, she is.
From my brother.
I have to go.
DARIUS: Sleepy?
A bit.
Let her rest.
Come, I'll walk you out.
Goodbye.
Now get some rest.
Oh, Ma!
Get some rest.
No husband today?
Um... yes, he'll still be at the picnic.
You're the independent type.
I have my moments, I suppose.
Well, I tell you, my eldest daughter
is much the same.
I don't know that her mother or I
had much say in any of it.
She thinks she's stronger than she is, you see.
But I look at her now,
I see the cost.
Mr. Dalal,
I know you've every right to despise me.
But your son, Aafrin...
Alice, I don't know you.
But I have some experience of my son.
And there is something that is killing him.
Whether this thing, this freedom you imagine
you find in each other,
or who knows what?
I beg you, please,
just leave us be.
Come on, darling.
Miss Dalal, is she well?
Is she all right, I mean?
Yeah, she's fine.
Come on, darling, let's get you home.
PERCY: Mummy, where are we going?
(band playing "When the Saints")
WILLINGDON: There he is!
Munshi, Whelan's been asking for you.
Let's, um...
we'll have a toast inside, I think.
Dalal, a word.
The man took cyanide.
He died right in front of me.
Did he speak?
Ralph?
He said nothing.
Then we have to keep looking.
Tell me!
Tell me you were coerced!
I mean, we've all been there.
Those first years of service,
stuck out God knows where,
working all hours.
Letters home, learning as you go.
And then in walks Miss Das--
a fine, intelligent woman.
And before you know it, you're caught up in something.
You're trapped.
You're threatened into helping these people.
No, I was not coerced.
Was I ever hard on you?!
Did I ever let you down?!
A few acts of personal kindness.
Do you honestly think for one minute that was the point?
What was the point?
I hardly know where the lies began.
It started with a document.
Aforged document-- a Congress certificate.
What?!
I should've stopped there.
But then there was the man you hanged--
the man we both knew to be innocent,
but you let him die anyway.
Ramu Sood?
And why turn to people like Banerjee?
I did not turn to him.
That man came much later.
He bound himself to us.
Kaira knew.
She saw what he was capable of.
She said I always saw too much good in people.
And you include me in that list?
Yes.
How very disappointing.
Oh, whoops-a-daisy.
4:00.
Well, almost.
Time for the toast.
One moment, Mr. Keane.
Ralph?
Pull yourself together.
Come on, sir!
Do you know how often, when times were tough,
I would say to myself, "What would Ralph Whelan do?"
Because, whether we like it or not,
you are my friend.
My good friend.
Am I?
Yes.
You and all your family.
And I ask you, please save me.
As I once saved you.
You wait 'til 4:00.
BOTH: One, two, three, four.
Ah, yes, yes, Yes-
Ladies and gentlemen, shall we?
(string quarter playing)
Thank you.
RONNIE: Ladies and gentlemen, pray charge your glasses
for the loyal toast.
Tell them it is a gift for the King.
Say it.
It is a gift for the King.
Ladies and gentlemen, honoured guests,
on this most auspicious day, I give you
the King Emperor.
The King Emperor.
EVERYONE: The King Emperor.
BOTH: One, two, three, four.
(clock chimes)
J" God save our gracious King... J"
MAN: Hey, you, boy, move away from there!
♪ Long live our noble King ♪
J" God save the King... J"
(bell chimes)
Hello, little man.
What have you got there?
It is a gift for the King.
Shh!
Our secret.
Nobody must see.
NARESH". Nobody, you understand?
Chota (Little) Matthew!
(singing)
Chota (Little) Matthew!
You answer when I call you, please.
What's in the box?
It is a gift for the King.
J" God save the King. J"
(clock chimes)
KING GEORGE (on radio): At the close
of this memorable day,
I must speak to my people everywhere.
Yet how can I express what is in my heart?
As I passed this morning through cheering multitudes
to and from St. Paul's cathedral.
As I thought there of all that these 25 years
have brought to me and to my country and my empire...
My People and I
have come through great trials and difficulties together.
They are not over.
But I am persuaded
that with God's help,
they may all be overcome
if we meet them with confidence, courage,
and unity.